The Queen Anne-style villa, on Bluff Lane, in Gibbston, Queenstown-Lakes, was one of the houses profiled in the 2017 season of the show.
Previous owners Jamie and Melissa McMurtrie had rescued the house from the rubble of the Christchurch earthquakes and transported it more than 400km to its current location.
They spent a year putting the house back together and bringing it up scratch, and sold it in 2018 for $2.141m.
The five-bedroom property, which is known as the “Turret House”, was listed for sale in November last year with New Zealand Sotheby’s International Realty agent Ben Terry. It sold three months later for $3.6m.
The 400sqm home sits on one hectare in Gibbston Valley and has a 2021 RV of $2.82m.
“With impressive stud height throughout, the four double bedrooms have a real sense of space and light including the master with its very own ensuite, walk-in wardrobe and bespoke turret. The property enjoys two additional period style bathrooms.”
Terry said the vendors didn’t know the villa had been on Grand Designs when they bought it in 2018. “They were just in town and wanted a holiday house here. The saw the house, fell in love with it and two months later they were living in Gibbston Valley,” he told OneRoof in November.
The couple turned a one-bedroom cottage next to the main residence into a holiday home escape.
“It’s remarkable, the cottage is a triumph. You sit on that deck with views of Nevis Bluff. It’s one of the world’s special places,” Terry said in November, noting that despite the untouched surroundings, the property was just 15 minutes from the airport.
He told OneRoof that the house had attracted interest from international buyers.
The McMurtries gave up the house in 2018 after having their second child. As detailed in their episode of Grand Design New Zealand, they faced huge challenges bringing their property dreams to life, including transporting the house in pieces through some narrow twisty roads.
The property was the third Grand Designs home to come up for sale in 2023.
Bella Castello, a seven-bedroom, seven-bathroom mansion, made a star appearance on Grand Designs NZ last year, and was listed for sale several times before being withdrawn.
Another home that featured in 2022 also struggled to sell. London builder Tony Hodge’s house of cedar and steel wrapped around seven containers was due to go to auction earlier this month but the sale was cancelled at the last minute.
The two-bedroom Waiheke Island property, which is nestled in the bush, hit the market in August but the auction was pushed back several times before being abandoned altogether.
